Snap switch



Oct. 27, 1931. J. J. GRossMAN ET AL SNAP SWITCH Filed Sept. 23, 1926switch in permanent as shown in Fig. 2.

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE J' AOOB J'.GrltOSSMANv AND JOSEPH J'. STEINHLARTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORSTO CABLE RADIO TUBE CORPORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE SNAP SWITCH Application led September 23, 1926. Serial No.137,197.

This invention relates to switches for controlling the passage ofelectric current, particularly to snap switches, and has for its generalobject toimprove the construction of suchswitches and to render themmore reliable in operation while at the same time reducing the cost ofproduction.

In switches of the sliding contact type the contact members must be-madefrom thin spring brass to obtain eicient contact,and the contacts areordinarily subdivided into small sections which are burned out easily bythe slightest arc produced in switching. The capacity of such switchesis therefore limited to low currents.

On the other hand, while the ordinary snap switch overcomes thesedefects of the sliding Contact switch, it is usually of very complicatedstructure and is costly to manufacture and assemble.

The present invention provides a snap switch of simple and sturdyconstruction with few moving parts that can be placed on the market atvery low cost.

While we have disclosed a preferred ernbodiment of the invention forpurposes of illustration it should be understood that various changesmay be made in the construction without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: n

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the lower half of a switch embodying ourinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the contact elements;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the other contact element.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the switch body is composedof a lower half 10 and a cover lid 11, both of these parts being formedfrom any suitable insulating material. Screws 12 hold the lid in placeand may extend beyond the body to secure the position upon a supportApertures 13 and-14 are formed in the opposite ends of the switch bodyto admit the wires 15 and 16 which carry the current to be controlled bythe switch. The wire 15 extends uninterruptedly through the switch body,while the wire 16 is broken and its ends are attached to the contactmembers of the switch mechanism, about to be described. A longitudinalpartition 17 projects u wardly from the bottom of the lower bo y member10 and serves to keep the wire 16 away from the moving switch parts.

One end of the wire 16 is bound against the terminal contact plate 18 bythe bolt 19. The plate 18 is mounted alongside the partition 17 and hasan arm20 extending parallel to the partition and having its extremity7bent at right angles to form the contact surface 21.

A semi-circular extension 22 is formed on the side of the switch body,and a stud 423 is permanently mounted in the extension by having itsknurled head 24 molded into the bottom of the body member 10.

The second terminal contact plate 25 is shaped as shown in Fig. 4 sothat when it is mounted in the extension 22 o posite the plate 18, theaperture 26 formed) in curved arm 27 will tit over the stud 23 and thelip 28 will extend upwardly in a plane near that of arm 20. The switcharm 29 has one end pivoted over the stud 23 in contact with arm 27 ofplate 25, and its opposite end is formed with an upstanding contact face30 adaptedH to fit squarely against the face 21 of plate 18 when theswitch is closed as in Fig. 1.

An operating arm 31 is pivoted onto the stud 23 above the switch arm 29and projects through a slot in the extension 22, on the exterior ofwhich it is provided with a handle 32. A washer 33 is placed over thestud 23 after which the upper end of the stud is riveted over to holdthe moving parts in close electrical contact.

The independently pivoted members 29 and 31 form a toggle arm, and atension spring 34 is secured to opposite ends of the members 29 and 31to cause a snap action of the toggle arm. When the switch is in closedposition as shown in Fig. 1 the spring holds the faces 21 and 30 in firmcontact. As' the operating arm 31 is moved toward the right there is nomovement of arm 29 until after the spring crosses the dead center of thepivot, at which time the spring operates to snap the arm 29 to the openposition in which 1t rests against lug 28 as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. The closing movement of the switch is accomplished by a similarsnap movement.

We claim:

In a snap switch, a body formed of insulating material, a stud havingits head buried in the material of the body, a unitary terminal, bridgeand stop member formed of a single piece of sheet material and having anarm extending over the stud and a sto member formed thereon integralwith an bent up from said unitary member intermediate said arm adjacentsaid stud, a second terminal member formed with a contact face,.a switcharm pivoted upon the stud and having an extension adapted to alternatelycontact with the contact face and with the stop member, an operating armpivoted upon the stud, and a tension spring attached to opposite partsof the switch arm and the operatmg arm and adapted to pass across thedead/center of the pivot to move the switch arm with a snap action.

In testimony whereof we aiiix ourvsignatures. v

JACOB J. GROSSMAN. JOSEPH J. STEINHARTER.

